Mammal. The largest living land mammal, the African elephant weighs 3500 to 7000 kilograms (3.5 to 7 tons) and stands 3.4 meters (11 feet) high. The elephant's remarkable trunk serves variously as a nose, arm, hand, foot and multi-purpose tool. The trunk is strong enough to uproot a tree and delicate enough to pick berries, and it enables the elephant to reach as high as 7 meters (23 feet). Humans can hear only 20% of the vocal sounds an elephant makes; 80% are on low frequencies that are inaudible to our ears. Elephants can walk up to 40 kilometers (25 miles) per hour but cannot jump or run. They are very good swimmers.

Scientific
Name

Lifespan

Loxodonta africana

60 to 70 years

Diet

Herbivore. They graze and browse, eating up to 224 kilograms (600 pounds) of food a day consisting of grass, shoots, bark, buds of trees and shrubs, fruits, and vegetables. They drink 114 - 189 liters (30 - 50 gallons) of water per day.